All Songs Considered

Amber Mark's stunning debut, Three Dimensions Deep, is on our shortlist of the best albums out on Jan. 28. Nelson Huang/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Top row, left to right: Kaina, Maita, Uwade; Bottom row: PUP Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Emo rapper iann dior's sophomore full-length, on to better things, tops this week's shortlist for the best albums out on Jan. 21. Joseph Morrison/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Upper left: Shamir; upper middle: Frank Turner; Upper right: Keeley Forsyth; middle: Anaïs Mitchell; bottom: Midlake Courtesy of the artists hide caption

FKA Twigs' new mixtape, CAPRISONGS, tops our shortlist for the best albums out on Jan. 14. Orograph/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: The Smile, Basia Bulat, Pigeon Pit, Barrie, Kae Tempest Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Cassettes released by Znous, Bacon Grease, Wendy Eisenberg, Morbo, Maraudeur, Myriam Gendron, Cara Neir, Felinto, Neo Geodesia and Lucy Liyou appear on this Viking's Choice episode. Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr, Lars Gotrich/NPR hide caption

Our first holiday adventure, in 2012, landed us at a tiny cabin in the woods, where we hosted a party for the ages. Mike Brinson/Getty Images hide caption

HBO's Insecure not only identified a shift in Black music over the last five years, it helped distinguish it. Glen Wilson/HBO hide caption

Projects released by Blu DeTiger, girl in red, Normani and Draco Rosa are among the NPR Music staff's favorite songs and albums that didn't make our final best-of lists for 2021. Photo Illustration by Renee Klahr/NPR; Getty Images hide caption

Lil Nas X's "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" is NPR Music's best song of 2021. Charlotte Rutherford/Courtesy of the artist hide caption